John godfrey peecoub



(No Model.) I

' J. G. PREGOUR.

SLED BRAKE. No. 295.195. Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

N. PETERS, Phuwum n anr. Washin ton. D c.

UNITED STATES P TENT Erica.

JOHN GODFREY PRECOUR, OF REIGELSVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

' SLED-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,195, dated March18, 1884. Application filed December 9,1222. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. G. PRECOUR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reigelsville, in the county of Warren and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSled-Brakes; and I do declare the following to 'be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figuresofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure lof the drawings is a representation of this invention, showing aplan view of the under side. Fig. 2 is a side View. Fig. 3 is aperspective view.

This invention has relation to sled-brakes; and it consists in theconstruction and novel arrangement of devices, as will be hereinafterfully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

Heretofore sleds have been provided with brake-levers, which have beenpivoted to the sides of the sled frame or runners, the levers having attheir lower ends each a downwardlyextending prong or barb, as have alsobeen sleds with compound levers, the. handle portions of which haveretracting spiral'springs connecting with the forward portions of therunners or frames. The formerhave been found objectionable in practice,as they are liable, when applying the brakes during accelerated motion,to either throw the operator from his seat to the ground or ice or turnthe sled entirely over, in many cases seriously injuring the occupant.The latter is not a positive brake.- It is expensive, requiresexperience to operate it successfully, and is exposed to many objectionson account of its construction.

The present invention has for its object to obviate these inefficienciesand produce a sledbrake which will be cheap in construction, eifectivein operation, and durable. These objects are accomplished by the" meansshown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Theletter A represents the bottom of a sled, and B the runners securedthereto.

0 0 indicate bracket-arms, having divergbrake-levers G. Thesebrake-levers are made of metal, steel being preferred, and each leverconsists of an enlarged body or bearing portion, a forward arm, H, and adownwardly and rearwardly extending arm, K, the extremity of which iscurved backward, as indicated at L, to prevent the end of the lever fromcatching in the ice or snow. The end of the journal of the bracket-armis threaded to receive the nut M, which serves to fasten the lever onthe journal. Through the lower arm of the lever, near the bearing,ismade a perforation, P, by means of which the end of an obliqueretract-ingspring, S, is attached to the arm. The rear end of thisspring is, by means of a screw or other common fastening, secured to thebody of the sled, as indicated at Z.

To the forward arm, H, is attached the handlesleeve N, which is made ofwood, in order to protect the hand from the cold surface of the metallicarm. The lower arms of the brake-levers are made gradually tapering fromthe bearing F to the end, so that there will be no liability to catch inthe ice or snow suddenly, and thereby trip the sled over.

' The tension of thesprings should be sufficieut to hold the arms K upfrom the ice or snow when the sled is running free.

In order to turn the sled to oneside, the handle of the brake-lever onthat side is raised, causing the end of the lower arm to engage the iceor snow. To stop the sled, both levers are operated in such a manner asto check its progress, either quickly or gradually, as may be desired. I

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

In a hand-sled, the lateral brake-levers G, having oblique taperingspindle-form arms K, extending downward and rearward, and terminating inunder convex rear extensions, L, formed without shoulder or obstruction,the

forward arms H, covered with vWooden handle-sleeves N, and having theperforations P, in combination with the braced brackets O and springs S,connected each by oneend to a 5 brake-lever below its pivotal point, andby its other end to side of the body or rave in 1 rear, all constructedand adapted to operate substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES HOAGLAND, FREDERICK S. TAYLOR.

